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Creatures like Eko and his circumstances
Eko : Requiem for a Tiger

remind us of the fragility of life.

At the time this goes to press, the Community Services We all need water to live. As Jacques Yves Cousteau once
Advisory Board will have received further input, and, it appears said, "...the water cycle and the life cycle are one." It's fitting and
this matter will be submitted to the Naples City Council to adopt wonderful, especially in the Lunar Year of the Tiger, that Jan took
by resolution at the April 6 meeting. action to create a lasting memorial for Eko in a place of nature.
Jan, together with her sister, Sue Schulte, like so many others, Caring people make a difference. It only takes one to lead the
remember Eko as a gorgeous animal and a special creature: way. The city staff and council, Jan's neighbors and so many others,
an ambassador for all endangered species. We can't undo the plus those associated with the Naples Zoo, are fully prepared to
senseless human action which resulted in his death, though, support this simple yet meaningful measure to keep Eko alive in
let his loss not be in vain. our hearts, minds and community.
Creatures like Eko and his circumstances remind us of the
fragility of life. No future moment is guaranteed. And, that
he would die in a facility which was intended to protect him
while educating the community makes his loss all the more
heartbreaking. Yet, Eko's short time in Naples can continue to
inspire and teach us.
This was understood immediately by Jan's Lake Park lakefront
neighbors, especially the children in the neighborhood. Their
parents unanimously signed the petition she presented to rename
the lake.
The plans for this memorial are in motion. It is likely that
a memorial plaque and a sculptural rendering of Eko will be
installed at the lake, which is located just south of Fleischmann
Park between 14th Ave. N. and 15th Ave. N, so very near the
Naples Zoo.

Email Karen at NaplesKCC@gmail.com to share future article
ideas. Follow her on Instagram @naplesbythenumbers for adventures
about life in Naples.

Future Eko Lake
Courtesy photographer Marc Minisci

Life in Naples | April 2022 47